Vista creates new Tablet PCs

If you’re like me and you love the Tablet PC and UMPC genre of computers then you know that it is the Windows XP Tablet Edition that sets these devices apart from other, ho hum devices like notebooks. It’s the Tablet bits that provide the oomph that makes these devices so appealing and provides a uniqueness that other ultra-portables don’t have. As cool as they are, the Sony UX Micro PCs run Windows XP Pro so even though they have a touch screen they are not UMPCs because they lack the Tablet stuff which makes portable slate devices so much more productive. There have been other devices that don’t ship with the Tablet Edition like the FlyBook series of convertible touch screen devices with no Tablet Edition.

Vista is about to be released commercially and the new version of the operating system will change all of our thoughts about devices like those mentioned above. When Vista is installed on a touch screen enabled device then the Tablet bits are installed and available just like on "real" Tablet PCS. It is because of this that Vista will result in a lot of new Tablet PCs and UMPCS simply because these devices will work just like the bigger Tablet PCs, and we will be the better for it. I never thought I’d see the day when Sony shipped the UX with the Tablet Edition but that’s exactly what we’ll get with Vista, the best mobile device operationg system anywhere.